The 11-member Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, known as the FISA court, was once mostly focused on approving case-by-case wiretapping orders. But since major changes in legislation and greater judicial oversight of intelligence operations were instituted six years ago, it has quietly become ALMOST A PARALLEL SUPREME COURT, serving as the ultimate arbiter on surveillance issues and delivering opinions that will most likely shape intelligence practices for years to come, the officials said.

I’ve known it for something like 5-10 years already. A long time. It started out they could wiretap mafiosi or do “sneak and peek” searches on such people. Now, it would appear, they have decided that their jurisdiction is a wee bit larger.

7
posted on 07/06/2013 9:18:29 PM PDT
by coloradan
(The US has become a banana republic, except without the bananas - or the republic.)

The FISA judges . well, I can’t say it. They’re part and parcel of the destruction of our way of life. That is to say, their existence and decisions are antithetical to natural law. For those of you in Rio Linda, that means freedom.

12
posted on 07/06/2013 9:32:06 PM PDT
by andyk
(I have sworn...eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.)

I have known of that body for some time. I have appeared before one of the judges of that Court, although not in his capacity as a member of that Court, but sitting as a Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Without going into the gory details of that case, which I cannot due to Rules of Conduct, I will tell you that I would not have my fate resting in that judge's hands.

I perceive no difference between FISA and any other Secret, Unilateral "Court," whether denominated as FISA, Star Chamber, Inquisition, or Tribunal Révolutionnaire.

And I don't buy that one must acquiesce in the erosion of one's God-given rights to maintain "security." In my long lifetime, we have never had "security" - but in my youth we had Freedom. Freedom is all that matters - without it, there is no life, at least for me!

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

Maybe we can have a secret court for each of the other Amendments in the Bill of Rights. Freedom of speech or religion? Weve a secret court for that. Second Amendment? Weve a secret court for that. All your rights have been revoked. Dont like it? Theres a secret court for that.

OK.

How about a secret court court?

It would be a double secret court court comprised of commuting homeowners picked randomly off the street to serve 30 day terms determining which xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx and xxxxxxxx will be subject to xxxxxxxxxx leading to xxxxxx and xxxxxxxxxx with xx xxxxx xx xxxxxx.

USA isn`t a Constitutional Republic anymore. Hasn`t been since Lincoln and certainly gone since FDR. It`s akin to a 3rd world banana State with reserve currency status. Once it loses reserve currency status, the Statist dystopia collapses.

35
posted on 07/06/2013 10:20:14 PM PDT
by Para-Ord.45
(Happily in tutelage by the reflection that they have chosen their own guardians.)

I had a conversation with one of my (still military) buds the other day.

He asked me what I thought of Snowden.

I said I’m conflicted, because though he did violate the letter of the law regarding his confidentiality agreement, I haven’t seen any evidence of actual harm he has committed against the Republic. And what moral crime has he committed? In fact, Snowden has revealed some of the unconstitutional activities being conducted, acts of which favor freedom and adherence to the Constitution. Sunshine is the best disinfectant!

He said Snowden’s a traitor, but he couldn’t name any specific acts of treason such as revealing the names and locations of CIA agents overseas (like Jack Anderson did years ago, to the accolades of the media at the time — and got away with it).

Next time I see my buddy, I’ll ask him if he supports the second amendment (I know he does, and he’s probably a CCP holder too). Then I will point out the irony of his support for gun rights, versus his condemnation of someone who does a better job defending other constitutional rights than he does, even though he supposedly is the one who took an oath to defend the Constitution.

I don’t think of Snowden as being either a hero or villain, yet. It’s too early to know the entirety of his revelations. Maybe he will reveal specifics that compromise our ability to conduct special operations against our jihadist enemies — who knows, too early to say. But as long as he’s only revealing the existence of unconstitutional government abuses against American citizens, I applaud him.

"The official, like a half-dozen other current and former national security officials, discussed the courts rulings and the general trends they have established on the condition of anonymity because they are classified"

How are these "officials" any different from Snowden, given the classified information they are leaking? Will Obama (and everyone else who've been hammering Snowden) go after them and the NYT with the same gusto?

None of the requests from the intelligence agencies was denied, according to the court.

Unaccountable rubber stamp star chamber, and it's scary as hell that the moron unicorn-chaser Diane Feinstein appears to be the principal "oversight" authority and that the FISA judges are regularly blowing her off and she's too stupid to realize it.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.